Thursday, December 22, 2005

The VW Kennel's Favorite DVD Releases of 2005

And now, our lists! Selections are in order of preference unless otherwise noted...

TIM LUCASEditor/Blogger/Co-Publisher

1. THE TWILIGHT ZONE: THE DEFINITIVE EDITION, SEASON 2 - 4 (Image Entertainment): The first volume was released at the end of last year, but this year's continuation -- encompassing many of the beloved series' most memorable episodes -- fulfills its promise and then some. Image's TZ sets have become the standard bearer of how vintage television should be handled and presented on DVD. The casual viewer can be satisfied with the most sparkling transfers these shows have ever seen (mastered from 35mm), while more ardent fans can drink as deeply as they desire, partaking of audio commentaries, Rod Serling lectures and interviews, isolated music tracks, and much else. Exhaustive in their scope, inexhaustible in their pleasures, these sets do Serling and his many talented collaborators proud -- and they deserve to be in every home where imaginative storytelling is respected. SEASON 5, the final set, will be streeting on December 27.

2. EDGAR WALLACE EDITION 1 - 8 (Tobis/UFA import R2): These eight box sets are a dream come true for the krimi collector, and I very nearly put them in the Number 1 position. The transfers (most of them anamorphic) are frequently astonishing to eyes familiar only with the 16mm English-dubbed TV prints put out by Sinister Cinema. To finally have the option of viewing these pictures in German with English subtitles, and to see the early black-and-white entries (like THE DEAD EYES OF LONDON) with their blood-red main titles for the first time, was a heady emotional and educational experience. In short, these sets helped me to understand the full glory and importance of this series, which influenced the James Bond films and even the shockers of Dario Argento. These box sets were actually my favorite DVD releases of the year, but I had to grit my teeth and take them down a notch on principle, because the disc producers opted to withhold English audio and subtitle options from at least one film (but never more than two films) in almost every set, including some titles (like DOUBLE FACE) that can easily be found in English. EDITION 4 (collecting THE BLACK ABBOT, THE INDIAN SCARF, ROOM 13 and THE MYSTERIOUS MAGICIAN) is the only set to offer English options for every feature. Available from Sazuma and Xploited Cinema.

3. L'ECLISSE (Criterion):I had never seen this Michelangelo Antonioni classic with Monica Vitti and Alain Delon before, and it turned out to be the most exciting and moving movie experience I had this year. The black-and-white widescreen photography gleams, and Criterion's extras are also top notch. Criterion issued an extraordinary number of top-notch releases this year (THE TALES OF HOFFMAN, THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY, JULES AND JIM, THE RIVER, etc), surpassing even their usual high standard, and I wish I could have accomodated more of them on this list.4. THE KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI COLLECTION: THE SCAR/CAMERA BUFF/BLIND CHANCE/NO END/A SHORT FILM ABOUT LOVE/A SHORT FILM ABOUT KILLING (Kino on Video): This much-needed collection replaces New Yorker Films' earlier VHS releases of many of these titles, and sweetens them with additional colleague interviews and other worthy supplements, including several of Kieslowski's early documentary shorts. While none of these films quite attains the masterly blend of approachability and brilliance of Kieslowski's later work, the last three films in the set are masterpieces and the first three are more than worth seeing.

5. THE VAL LEWTON HORROR COLLECTION: CAT PEOPLE/CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE/I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE/THE BODY SNATCHER/THE LEOPARD MAN/THE GHOST SHIP/ISLE OF THE DEAD/THE SEVENTH VICTIM/SHADOWS IN THE DARK documentary (Turner Home Entertainment): One of the finest bodies of work ever amassed within the horror genre, treated with the respect it deserves. The audio commentaries -- including such VW alumni as Kim Newman, Tom Weaver, and Greg Mank -- are superb, and the documentary about Lewton is one of the best of its kind. My only regret about the set is that Turner apparently couldn't think of anyone who might provide a commentary for ISLE OF THE DEAD, which is one of my personal favorites of the bunch. That's the one where Boris Karloff says, "They call me The Watchdog..."6. THE QUATERMASS COLLECTION (BBC Video): A perfectly realised, long-awaited collection of all the surviving kinescopes of the BBC's original "Quatermass" telecasts from 1953 (THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT, two episodes), 1955 (QUATERMASS II, complete) and 1958-59 (QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, complete). Nigel Kneale's original teleplays for the missing EXPERIMENT episodes are included, and the PIT episodes ameliorate the old problem of the BBC's initial stand-alone release of this title as a single, extended entity. The documentary extras are outstanding, too.

7. THE KING KONG COLLECTION (Turner Home Entertainment): I am still making my way through this mouth-watering set, but it's both a delight and an education. It appears to offer the best-looking and -sounding presentations of KING KONG (1933), SON OF KONG (1933) and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949) ever. In the case of KING KONG particularly, the image clarity enlarges one's appreciation of the film's technical achievement, and the bonus disc's exhaustive documentary features put these achievements into historic perspective in a way that fully supports the feature's claim to the name "The Eighth Wonder of the World." Long-awaited and worth the wait.8. A TALE OF TWO SISTERS (Tartan Video): The most skillfully made horror film of recent vintage I've seen, this darkly lyrical South Korean film merges ghost story and dark psychology with a virtuosity seldom encountered anymore. The score by Byung-woo Lee is an instant classic, haunting and beautiful. If you pick this up, I insist you pop for the two-disc deluxe edition, whose supplements are not only informative but offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of the director and his actors that are remarkable in their humanism and candor. One of those DVD releases that extends the boundaries of what the medium is capable of achieving.

9. DAVID CRONENBERG'S THE FLY (1986, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment): Long in the works, this definitive treatment of Cronenberg's "reimagining" of the 1958 classic was worth the wait. Besides an excellent rendering of the film, this two-disc set offers a feast of bonus materials, of which the most notable are a lengthy retrospective documentary and an assortment of invaluable deleted scenes. The "monkey-cat/crab-leg" sequence is the DVD Bonus supplement of the year. I'll go to my grave insisting that Cronenberg opted for a good horror film instead of a great one when he cut this powerful footage, but the disc offers a valid counter-argument of why cutting it was the right thing to do.

10. (tie) DANGER: DIABOLIK (Paramount DVD), THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and VENUS IN FURS (Blue Underground): The year's most stunning Eurocult releases. I had the privilege of contributing to the commentary track of DIABOLIK with its star John Phillip Law, but I include this title mostly for restoring and presenting the most complete and ideal version of the film ever released -- and Steve Bissette's interview tying DIABOLIK into the history of comics and comic adaptations to film is superb. Blue Underground's two releases continue their tradition of going the extra mile with worthy cult items. BIRD is the deluxe edition of Dario Argento's directorial debut that his fans have long been craving, topped off with a stunning from-the-negative transfer supervised by Vittorio Storaro; VENUS is one of Jess Franco's quintessential works, perhaps his definitive psychedelic treatment of romantic obsession. All three films have never looked or sounded better.

Honorable Mention: MONSTER KID HOME MOVIES (PPS Group): This nostalgic collection of home-made 8mm/16mm monster movies, dating from 1952 to fairly recently but emphasizing the 1960s, is a time capsule preserving our love of movies and our desire to share in their magic. Every one of the 20 films included has something to commend it, whether it's raw talent (or somewhat more sophisticated talent), a gift for mimicky, ambition and pluck, or simply the reflected innocence of a less complicated time. Every film is accompanied by an audio commentary that puts each piece in perspective, perspectives which allow the set to cover the whole arc of human emotions from joy to tragedy. I contributed an audio commentary to my late friend Alan Upchurch's film "The Gentle Old Madman," which makes MKHM particularly meaningful for me, but even without my participation, or Alan's, this disc would have touched my heart. Irresistable, and an outstanding debut release from PPS Group. Available directly from PPS Group or from Diabolik DVD.

Best Box Set of 2005: JERRY LEWIS - THE LEGENDARY JERRY COLLECTION: THE NUTTY PROFESSOR/THE LADIES MAN/CINDERFELLA/THE FAMILY JEWELS/THE PATSY/THE BELLBOY/THE ERRAND BOY/THE DELICATE DELINQUENT/THE DISORDERLY ORDERLY/THE STOOGE (Paramount DVD) Okay, I'm taking advantage of a technicality here. The individual DVDs composing this box set were originally released in October of 2004, and I complained then that they should have been collected in a more affordable box set. If you skipped these titles last year because they were too costly, I urge you to take advantage of this economically priced collection. Of course the humor is juvenile, but the filmmaking is frequently inspired, with an original approach to color, set design, spectacle, and an often surrealistic sensibility. If THE NUTTY PROFESSOR is all you know, you must at least check out THE LADIES' MAN. The recording session in THE PATSY had me laughing so hard I thought I might die. Seriously.Restoration of the Year:THE WIZARD OF OZ (Warner Home Video).

2.THE KING KONG COLLECTION (Warner R1): I have almost no interest in seeing Peter Jackson's gazillion dollar CGI overkill extravaganza, but am glad it finally came out as we now have this gorgeous restoration of the RKO original. Nice extras, plus high quality presentations of the studio's other two giant ape classics make this a must.

3.PHANTASM I-IV SPHERE BOX SET (Anchor Bay UK R2 PAL): No amount of gloss and supplemental goodies can compensate for the travesty that is PHANTASM: OBLIVION, but this set is otherwise exemplary and comes in the year's grooviest packaging: an oversized reproduction of the series' classic silver sphere! With the North American rights to the movies divided between MGM and Universal, an R1 equivalent seems unlikely.

4.DAVID CRONENBERG'S THE FLY (Fox R1): Previous editions of this grotesque but remarkably poignant remake were too bright and lacking in supplements, flaws eradicated by this new, director-approved set. It also offers some of the most extensive and fascinating extras in recent memory.

5.THE CANDY SNATCHERS (Subversive R1): In this age of unabashed double dipping, it is all but unheard of for a movie's very first video release in any format to also be definitive. Subversive Cinema has managed to accomplish just that, offering a beautiful transfer of this essential '70s grindhouse thriller complimented by quality supplementary material.

6.THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (Blue Underground R1): This lovingly restored, uncut presentation of Dario Argento's excellent giallo almost makes me forget that he has made absolutely nothing of worth in the past 15 years. Almost.

7.DANGER: DIABOLIK (Paramount R1): Another studio with a less-than-impressive selection of library titles, Paramount starts to right their wrongs by doing this Mario Bava classic justice. A first-rate transfer and marvelous extras completely wash away the taste of that MST3K travesty.

9.FAREWELL FRIEND (Cinema Club UK R2 PAL): Jean Herman's witty, masterfully plotted, and tres cool tale of honor and male bonding features Alain Delon and Charles Bronson at the height of their craft. A barebones release, but the movie and the presentation are so good, it doesn't matter (and you get the complete European version, unlike that wretched public domain R1 release).

10.GAMBLING CITY (NoShame R1): One of the first Italian crime thrillers I saw and still one of my favorites, even in its abbreviated, pan&scan release as THE CHEATERS from Vogue Video 20+ years ago. Naturally, NoShame's beautiful, uncut, widescreen edition is the only version I'll watch from now on.

JUST BEFORE DAWN (Media Blasters) : One of the better slasher pics of the Seventies is treated to an anecdote-filled commentary from director Jeff Lieberman (SQUIRM, BLUE SUNSHINE), whose talks typically contain more useful information than most film courses.

KING KONG (Warner Home Video) : You will see details in the film you never saw before... plus the documentary material is exhausting in its scope. Peter Jackson's recreation of the lost spider pit sequence is unbelievably good, an early Christmas present to all us monster fans.

LONG WEEKEND (Synapse Films): Flawless anamorphic transfer of a highly unusual "nature's revenge" film, where the wildlife attacks are metaphors for a disintegrating marriage.

MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (Warner Home Video) : Sparkling transfer and a heart-warming commentary with Ray Harryhausen and Terry Moore. Effects artist Ken Ralston moderates the commentary, and every time there is a startling stop-motion image, he remarks with deadpan awe, "oh, Ray... oh, Ray."

POINT BLANK (Warner Home Video): This nice special edition of John Boorman's experimental neo-noir, along with new DVD releases of THE PROFESSIONALS and PRIME CUT, made 2005 the unofficial Year of Lee Marvin.

VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE (Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock): All of Media Blasters' recent Toho releases have something extraordinary about them to recommend: MATANGO is essential to anyone interested in J-horror; THE MYSTERIANS has, among many other extras, an isolated Akira Ifukube score... but if I had to pick just one to represent them all it would have to be VARAN, not only for presenting the very different (and much better) Japanese version of the film, but for a fascinating audio commentary with effects artist Keizo Murase, who gives rare insight into the day-to-day life of a starving, struggling Toho studios technician.

1.DOCTOR WHO - SERIES 1 (BBC import R2): I'll take the tack that TV does deserve to be included, and this revival of my favorite show is simply perfect.

2.ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT SEASON 1 and 2 (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment): Probably doomed on network TV, but we'll always have the DVDs.

3.UNIVERSITY OF LAUGHS: Only available on disc in Japan as a R2 import, but with subtitles, this astonishing film has almost no market in the US. Two great actors sit in a room and talk, in a script that takes the awful grind towards Japan's declaration of war in the 1940s and turns into absurdist comedy of the highest order. This may not appeal much to VW's readership, but it is one of the best movies I've seen in many, many years.

4.LE ROI DE CHAMPS-ELYSEES (Reel Classic DVD-R): Buster Keaton's 1935 French language comedy, produced by Seymour Nebezahl and including clips from THE TESTAMENT OF DOCTOR MABUSE, is Keaton's greatest talkie feature, yet long out of the reach of fans. At last a top notch DVD-R with newly translated subtitles can be found online from Reel Classic DVD.

5.DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (BBC R2): The BBC miniseries is a work of apocalyptic dread that takes itself seriously enough to feel plausible.

6.THEY CAME BACK (Fox Lorber): A French zombie drama (yup, not a horror film, a drama) recently on Region 1 DVD, that is unlike any other zombie movie ever made. Finally, something new under the sun.

7.LOST - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (Buena Vista Home Entertainment): I dropped it down the list only because the currently airing second season makes the first season look weak by comparison.

8.CHARLEY CHASE COLLECTION VOLUME 2 (Kino on Video): Thank God for Kino, giving this underrated slapstick star an overdue reappraisal. This disc includes the short "Isn't Life Terrible?" which, in my book, is one of the most jaw-dropping pieces of silent comedy ever created. If you like old slapstick and haven't seen this short, your life is missing something.

9.MATANGO (Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock): When I saw that what was once known as ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE was getting a platform release with extras, in Japanese with subtitles, I'd assumed I was the victim of a practical joke. But no, now everybody with $15 to spare can enjoy this masterpiece of Japanese sc-fi delirium.

10.SCARY TRUE STORIES (MPI Home Video): Sneaking out onto DVD at the end of the year, with little fanfare, is one of the important J-Horror releases yet: the birthplace of the genre.____________________

Kim adds: "All sorts of possibles or probables - the Lewton box set (though I should rule that out for nomination since I contributed to it), the King Kong collection, the Universal Hammer and Lugosi sets - might qualify, except I've not even got them out of the shrinkwrap, let alone watched them down to the last Easter egg!"____________________

RICHARD HARLAND SMITHchoices in random order

THE BLIND DEAD COLLECTION (Blue Underground): The ayes finally have it -- essential EuroCult gets its due in a box set that puts the fun back in funereal.

THE VAL LEWTON HORROR COLLECTION (Turner Home Entertainment): Not just a collection of some of the finest horror and suspense films ever made but a primer for shock by suggestion.

TORTURE GARDEN (Columbia Home Entertainment): Not the best omnibus horror film of all time... but better than most that have already been given the digital upgrade and Burgess Meredith is a hoot as Dr. Diablo.

MATANGO/ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE (Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock): Shriek Show finally gets one right, and one of the most disturbing horror films of all time, too.

RACE WITH THE DEVIL (Anchor Bay Entertainment): The butt-ugly cover art aside, which makes this tale of Satanism along the Rio Grande look like a CB radio chase flick, Anchor Bay serves up vintage 70s drive-in shock with all the trimmins'.

ALMOST HUMAN (NoShame Films): Even if I hadn't written liner notes for this bloody slice of ItaloCrime, I'd still give it the thumbs up for being the EuroCult release of the year.

KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER (Universal): Wash the taste of that awful re-imagining with the original series. Occasionally excellent, often downright awful, with Darren McGavin as tour guide, THE NIGHT STALKER was at least a fun diversion and had character to burn.

THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (Blue Underground): In a word: finally.

THE INNOCENTS (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment): Not only is this classic spooker finally available on DVD, but at an affordable price not much above $10. Do it for the children.

KING KONG COLLECTION (Warner Home Video): Best Buy offered an exclusive box set of KING KONG, SON OF KONG and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG with extras galore and 10 collectible cards of original poster art from around the world. But even if Warners had put out a no frills single disc, it would have been worth all the chest pounding.____________________

REBECCA & SAM UMLANDchoices in random order

EVIL DEAD 2: BOOK OF THE DEAD LIMITED EDITION (Anchor Bay Entertainment, "Divimax Special Edition"): Worth it for the fabulous packaging, HD transfer, and The Book of the Dead looks great on our mantle.

NAKED (Criterion): Existentialism without despair, and David Thewlis is simply superb.

DEMON SEED (Warner Home Video): A fine LETTERBOXED transfer of a vastly under-rated film, long overdue on DVD.

POINT BLANK (Warner Home Video): Forget what you’ve read: Boorman’s brilliant film was the real inspiration for Cammell and Roeg’s PERFORMANCE.

DISNEY RARITIES: CELEBRATED SHORTS 1920s-1960s (Walt Disney Treasures): An excellent selection of historically important material, with excellent annotations. We are aware of the controversy this particular issue of the "Walt Disney Treasures" has elicited, but we stand by our assessment that this is an historically important release, despite the limitations of some of the source materials used for the transfers. While the quality of the presentation is important, our decision to include the title is based not simply on the quality of the transfers, but on the historic importance of the material included on the set.

MAJOR DUNDEE: THE EXTENDED VERSION (Sony/Columbia): Who would have believed it? Wasn’t this the GREED of our generation?

EDISON: THE INVENTION OF THE MOVIES, 1891-1918 (Kino on Video): What can we say? These films started it all: why we’re writing, and why you’re reading. There’s truly fascinating material on these four discs.

THE WIZARD OF OZ (Warner Home Video, 3-Disc Collector’s Edition): Yet another of the many profoundly important historic sets Warner issued in 2005, with important supplements from the silent era.

Best TV Issue (#11, excluding THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, which goes without saying): BUFFALO BILL: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS (Lion’s Gate) One of the most sublimely funny TV shows ever shown on national television, sadly short-lived.

2 comments:

Well King Kong and the Wizard of Oz will always be the best movie collection of mine. These movies are colossal. Especially for King Kong who has a long duration. The director is very good in creating film magic.

Yeah, that’s right! My family and I really liked the movie King Kong. In my opinion, this film is very good and very interesting. Animation of the film is actually like real and it is fabulous. I think this movie will not be cracked by time.